Door or window frame construction



-April 7, .1942. c. D; LOWRY 2,279,171

DOOR 0R WINDOW FRAME (IONS'IRUCTION Filed Dec. 30, 1939 Gttorneg Patented pr. Z 1942 DOOR R WINDOW FRAME CONSTRUCTION Clyde D. Lowry, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Libbey-` Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application December 30, 1939, Serial No. 311,898

Claims.

The present invention relates to door or window frames in general and more particularly to tubular metal frames such as are ordinarily used in show cases, poster cases, etc., although the invention is obviously not restricted to any specific use or uses.

Heretofore, it has been customary to fabricate door or window frames of this character of tubular metal sections which were welded together at the corners of the frame to provide an integral rigid construction. These tubular sections are preferably formed of extruded metal, such as aluminum, and it has been common practice to Alumilite the frame after the sections thereof are welded together whereby to provide a hard, durable surface as well as giving the frame a pleasing and attractive appearance. Briefly, the process of alumiliting consists in subjecting the extruded aluminum to a chemical and electrolytical action to form a surface film which is hard and shiny.

It has been found, however, that when the tubular sections, forming the frame are welded together and then alumillted, the welded joints tend to darken, and this, I believe, is caused by the action of the electrolytical process on the metal. This may be due to the fact that those portions of the tubular sections which have been subjected to the welding action are physically different from those portions which have not been thus subjected. so that the alumiliting tends to adversely affect only the welded portions to cause a darkening thereof. In alumiliting the tubular metal frame, it is placed in a caustic bath and at times some of the material of the bath will find its way into the frame. As it is practically impossible to thoroughly flush out the tubular frame after alumiliting, the caustic material within the frame cannot be removed andthe presence of this material also results in a corrosive action on the welded joints tending to weaken these joints.

It is the aim of this invention to overcome those objectional features set forth above in the fabrication of tubular frames of extruded metal. Briefly, this is accomplished by forming each section of the frame of two complemental inner and outer channel members which interfit with one another to give the desired tubular formation. The inner channel members of the frame are adapted to be welded together at the corners of said frame. while the outer channel members are not connected together. but instead are mitered at their adjacent ends. and secured to the respective inner channel members. VDue to the fact that the outer channel members cover the inner channel members, the outer channel members only need be alumilited or otherwise surface finished, while the inner channel members can be made from raw or unfinished extruded stock. Further, since the outer channel members are not welded together, there is of course no reason for the mitered joints thereof to become darkened after the said channel members are alumilited.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing. wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a door or window frame constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section therethrough taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective sectional view showing the manner in which the frame is constructed and assembled.

Referring now to the drawing, the metal frame shown in Fig. 1 is designated in its entirety by the numeral 5 and has mounted therein a sheet or pane of glass 6 by means of the metal sash construction 1. Although the metal frame 5 may be of any desired shape, it is herein shown as being rectangular and composed of horizontal top and bottom sections 8 and 9 and opposite vertical side sections I I) and Il. Each of the sections of the frame is of tubular formation and consists of the complemental inner and outer channel members I2 and I3 which interflt one another as shown in Fig. 3. More specifically, the flanges I 4 and I5 of the inner channel members I2 extend outwardly and are received between the inwardly directed flanges I6 and I l of the outer channel members I3. When the inner and outer channel members are interengaged with one another in this manner, they cooperate to lform a tubular construction as illustrated in Fig.. 2.

The adjacent ends of the inner channel members I2 are mitered at the corners of the frame as at I 8, and these mitered ends are adapted to be welded together as indicated at I9. By weldingthe inner channel members of fthe several vchannel members are covered by the'v outerrchannel members, Vtherrsaid inner channel members need not be alumilited or otherwise surface nnished.

The outer channel members I3 are also mitered at their adjacent ends as at 20, but these mitered edges are not adapted to be welded or otherwise secured to one another. On the contrary, the outer channel members are independent of one another and are adapted to be se.

cured to the respective inner channel members by screws or the like 2I. With such a construction, the outer channel members may be alumilited or otherwise surface-iinished to present a pleasing and attractive appearance as well as to provide a hard, durable exterior surface. Since the outer channel members are not welded together, all danger of them becoming darkened along their mitered edges after alumilitlng is of course obviated. Likewise, the outer channel members can be thoroughly washed after alumiliting to remove all presence of caustic soda.

In assembling the frame 5, the adjacent mitered ends I8 of the inner channel members I2 are first welded together as at I9, after which the outer channel members I3 are tted over the Ainner channel members as described above and secured thereto by the fastening screws 2|. The metal sash construction 'I is then associated with the frame, and the pane of glass 6 mounted therein.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the metal sash construction 'I at the top, bottom, and sides of the frame comprises an outer member 22 and an inner member 23. The outer member 22 includes a front portion 24 extending substantially parallel with the pane of glass 6 and a base portion 25 extending rearwardly at right angles thereto and or gap between the outer anges I5 and II of the inner and outer channel members I2 and I3 respectively. The base portion 25 of outer member 22 extends rearwardly a sufficient distance to cover the space or gap between the inner anges I4 and I6 of the inner and outer channel members respectively. In other words, the iiange 28 and base portion 25 extend transversely beyond the inner channel members and overlie the iianges I6 and I1 of the outer channel members so thatthe inner channel members are completely covered. Consequently, there is no need whatever for the surfaces of the inner channel members to be alumilited or otherwise iinished.

The inner member 23 of the metal sash comprises a rear portion 28 provided along its inner edge with a bead 30 engaging the inner surface of the pane of glassy 6 and at its outer end with a rearwardly turneti base portion 3Il which rests upon the base portion 25 of outer member 22 and is secured thereto by screws or the like 32. The base portion 3| of inner member 23 is preferably provided with transverse slots through which the screws 32 pass whereby the said inner member may be moved inwardly or outwardly to accommodate glass sheets of different thicknesses. When installing the pane of glass 6, the outer members 22 are iirst secured in place; the pane III of glass then positioned to engage the beads 21 of the outer members, after which the beads 3l o! the inner members 23 are moved into contact with the inner surface of the glass and the screws 32 put in place and tightened.

In order to more rigidly secure the inner and outer channel members I2 and I3 together, the screws 26 may pass entirely through the base portions of the inner channel members and have threaded thereon sleeves 33 in the opposite ends of which are threade/d screws 34 passing through the base portions of the outer channel members. The screws 26 and 34 are oppositely threaded so that, upon tightening, the said screws will be threaded into the opposite ends of the sleeves 33 to hold the channel members securely together as well as for securing the metal sash construction 1 to the inner channel members I2.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a metal door or window frame of the character described, sections formed of inner and outer complemental metal channel members intertting one another to provide a. tubular formation, means for securing the inner channel members together, while the outer channel members are independent of one another, and means for securing the outer channel members to the respective inner channel members.

2. In a metal door or window frame of the character described, sections formed of inner and outer complemental metal channel members interntting one another to provide a tubular formation, said inner channel members having outwardly directed flanges, while said outer channel members have inwardly directed flanges overlapping and covering the flanges of the inner channel members, means for securing the inner channel members together, while the outer channel members are independent of one another, and means for securing said outer channel members to the respective inner channel members.

3. In a metal door or window frame of the character described, sections formed of inner and outer complemental metal channel members intertting one another to provide a tubular formation, means for securing the inner channel members together, while the outer channel members are independent of one another, a metal sash construction carried by said inner channel members and adapted to hold a pane oi glass. and. means for securing said metal sash construction to the inner channel members and for also securing said outer channel members to said inner channel members.

4. In a metal door or window frame of the character described, sections formed of inner and outer complemental metal channel members intertting one another to provide a tubular formation, said inner channel members having outwardly directed flanges, while said outer channel members have inwardly directed anges overlapping and covering the flanges of the inner channel members, means for securing the inner channel members together, while the outer channel members are independent of one another, means for securing the outer channel members to the respective inn'er channel memchannel members, means for securing the inner channel -members together, while the outer channel members are independent of one another, a metal sash construction carried by said inner channel members and adapted to hold a pane of glass, and means for securing said metal sash construction to the inner channel members and for also securing said outer channel members to said inner channel members, the said metal sash construction extending transversely beyond the inner channel members and overlying, the flanges of the outer channel members.

CLYDE D. LOWRY. 

